Garment container apparatus

ABSTRACT

A garment container apparatus includes a rigid outer structure having hingably connected first and second storage sections with rigid side walls defining opposite sides of the container when closed. The first storage section has at its base, adjacent the hinged connection with the second storage section, a plurality of moveable storage enclosures. The enclosures are hingably connected to the base for swinging movement between a stored position and an open position. The first storage section also includes a garment support structure having two support members attached at a 90° angle to each other. One support member is pivotally connected to opposed margin walls of the first storage section for opening and closing movement. A mounting structure including an inflatable bladder and a cooperating restraint bar is integral to the pivot mounted support member and defines a compression zone therebetween. The remaining support member is in a vertical attitude when the garment support structure is opened and is adapted to retain a clothing hanger. A garment placed on the hanger is secured between the restraint bar and the inflatable bladder, and air pressure is applied to the bladder so that the garment is held and prevented from wrinkling. When it is desired to close the container, the garment support structure is unlatched and rotated downward and locked into secured position by replacement of the moveable enclosures to a stored position. In this rotation, the bladder, bar and garment remain in a fixed position relative to each other.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a garment containerapparatus, and in particular to an apparatus having a first storagesection adapted for transporting hanging garments, and a second storagesection hingedly connected therewith and designed for transportation ofrelated items such as, for example, toiletries and clothing accessories.The first storage section includes a garment support structure pivotallymounted between opposed marginal walls. The garment support structure isadapted to pivot between a first closed position and a second openposition, and has an inflatable bladder which cooperates with a rigidcushion restraint means to hold hanging garments in fixed position toprevent wrinkling.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art

Various types of luggage structures and systems have been devised overmany years. Certain types of luggage containers are well adapted forcasual travel purposes, including duffel type bags and modern soft-sidedluggage. This category of luggage is particularly well suited tovacation and similar casual travel, since the purpose of such travelpermits and indeed encourages the packing of clothing which is notintended for use in formal settings.

Business travel, however, generally calls for the transportation of adifferent category of personal items. Certain items, for example, shoes,toiletries, undergarments and clothing accessories, are generallytransported for both casual and business purposes. However, businesstravel nearly always requires in addition the transportation of businessclothing, including business suits. For this latter category of clothingitems, soft luggage or duffel bags are not suitable, simply becausethese types of luggage do not provide for packing of business clothingin such manner that the clothing remains neat and unwrinkled.

In modern times, there has been a progression of developments in thearea of luggage designed for business travel. During the period whendomestic travel was primarily by train, and international travelexclusively by ship, large travel trunks were utilized for business aswell as other travel. Such trunks included space for hanging businessclothing, as well as removable compartments or drawers for the storageof shirts, shoes and other clothing items. These trunks, however, whilewell adapted for transporting a variety of clothing, are heavy and bulkyand thus not particularly well suited for use in modern travel byairplane and car.

With the advent of these more modern means of conveyance, lighter andmore streamlined luggage came into favor. These hard-sided suitcasesfeatured a more narrow profile, and were intended to perform somethingof the function of a trunk, being designed to hold both businessclothing and other items. Therefore, these suitcases generally includedone side devoted to carrying supporting items such as shoes, toiletriesand the like, and another side specially adapted for carrying businessclothing. In particular, these cases featured some sort of mechanism tosecurely hold clothing hooks, and a restraint means, typically aladder-like structure, that was intended to prevent wrinkling.

Because of the shortcomings of hard-sided luggage, particularly withregard to their general failure to maintain the shape and neatness ofbusiness clothing, the luggage industry developed the modern softgarment bag. This type of luggage is designed to pack garments byhanging them of hangers, full length, in the unfolded bag suspended fromone end above the floor. The garments are secured and the bag is loadedready for carrying by unhooking, laying flat, folding doubly the bagwith contents and strapping shut. Some garment bags incorporate pocketssewn into the extremities to accommodate the packing of other clothingitems and accessories, but because of the limitation of cubic space insuch a design it is usually easier to utilize a smaller second piece ofluggage for carrying non-garment items.

This latter tendency, to associate a garment bag with a smaller bag forcarrying related materials, has led to the development of yet anothertype of luggage, namely a combination garment bag/valise. Thisdevelopment generally involves the detachable connection of the twoluggage bags, usually by wrapping the garment bag around the valise.

As the foregoing suggests, the problem of how to transport hangingbusiness clothing in one container with other materials in such mannerthat the business clothing remains neat and unwrinkled has yet to beresolved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a garment containerapparatus including a rigid outer structure having hingedly connectedfirst and second storage sections.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment containerapparatus wherein the storage sections have rigid side walls, definingopposite sides of the container when the container is in the closedposition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment containerapparatus in which each of the rigid side walls has a plurality ofmarginal walls defining the first and second storage sections.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a garment containerapparatus wherein the first storage section includes a garment supportstructure having a first support member and a second support member.

It is another object of the invention to provide a garment containerapparatus wherein the first support member is pivotally connected toopposed marginal walls for pivotal movement between a first openposition and a second closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment containerapparatus in which the second support member has a first end and asecond end, the first end being permanently engaged with the firstsupport member such that each support member is in 90° relation to theother, the second end being adapted to removably receive a clothinghanger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment containerapparatus wherein the first support member includes a mounting structureextending between opposed marginal walls.

It is another object of the invention to provide a garment containerapparatus in which the mounting structure has at opposed ends thereofconnecting means adapted to receive a cushioned rigid restraint means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment containerapparatus wherein the mounting structure further includes an integralinflatable bladder defining a compression zone between the bladder andthe rigid restraint means.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a garment containerapparatus wherein pivotal rotation of the first support member from afirst open position to a second closed position entails arcuate movementof the bladder and the restraint means about the first support memberpivot point in such manner that the bladder and the restraint meansremain in fixed relationship to each other.

In accordance with the invention, a garment container apparatus may bemanufactured of any appropriate rigid material. The apparatus has arigid outer structure, in which side walls and a plurality of opposedmarginal walls define hingedly connected first and second storagesections. The storage sections are selectively hingeable with respect toeach other by at least 90° between open and close positions. The firststorage section includes two moveable storage enclosures at its basewhich are pivotally connected to the base for swinging movement betweena stored position and an open position. The first storage section alsohas a garment support structure. The garment support structure has afirst support member pivotally connected to opposed marginal walls and asecond support member permanently attached to the first support memberand forming a 90° angle therewith. The garment support structure pivotsbetween a first open position, wherein the second support member isdeployed for use with a garment hanger, and a second closed position inwhich the structure is enclose within the first storage section. Thesecond support member is adapted to receive a clothing hanger, while thefirst support member includes an integral inflatable bladder andadjustable connections for attaching a padded restraint bar. When agarment such as a suit jacket is hung from the hanger, its lower portionis placed so that the air bladder is at the back of the garment, and thepadded restraint bar is positioned against the garment front. When thegarment has been adjusted to eliminate wrinkles, the bladder is inflatedto hold the garment in the desired position. When the garment supportstructure, including the hanging garment, is pivoted to the closedposition, the bladder, garment and restraint bar remain fixed relativeto each other, thereby discouraging wrinkling by preserving theprearranged tension of the garment fabric between hanger and bladder.The cooperation between the air bladder/restraint bar and the hangermaintain the neatness and natural shape of the garments during shipping.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in detail belowwith reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a garment container apparatus,constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the garment container apparatus of FIG.1, illustrating the garment support structure in the open or extendedposition, with a garment shown in phantom lines.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the first storage section of the garmentcontainer apparatus of FIG. 1, with an end wall broken away and thegarment support structure in the open position, taken along lines 4--4.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the first storage section ofthe garment container apparatus of FIG. 1 with a marginal wall brokenaway, and illustrating a garment restraint structure moving from theopen to the stored position, with a garment shown in phantom lines.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the first storage section ofthe garment container apparatus of FIG. 1 with a marginal wall brokenaway, and illustrating a garment restraint structure in the storedposition, with a garment shown in phantom lines.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A garment container apparatus 10 constructed in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1.It includes a first storage section 12 and a second storage section 14connected by hinge 16. First storage section side wall 18 and secondstorage section side wall 20 define opposite sides of the container 10when it is in the closed position.

First storage section 12 includes a base 22 which defines a 90° anglefrom side wall 18. Hinge 16 extends along the exposed open edge of thebase 22. Opposed to base 22 is first storage section end wall 24, whichincludes a latch strike 25 the purpose of which will be discussed below.Second storage section 14 has an end wall 26 which corresponds to andcontacts end wall 24 when the container is in the closed position.Contacting end wall 24 and base 22 are first storage section marginwalls 28 and 30. Contacting end wall 26 are the second storage sectionmargin walls 32 and 34 which correspond to and contact margin walls 28and 30 of the first storage section when the garment container is in aclosed position.

In the illustrated example, first storage section 12 has a pair ofmoveable storage enclosures 36 and 38. When the container 10 ispositioned for closing, enclosures 36 and 38 are seated on base interiorplatform 39, which defines the interior surface of base 22. For reasonswhich are discussed below, enclosures 36 and 38 are connected to base 22by hinges 40 and 42 respectively.

First storage section 12 includes garment support structure 44. Thestructure 44 comprises first support member 46 and second support member48. First support member 46 has respective first 50 and second 52 ends.Similarly, second support member 48 has a first end 54 and a second end56. Second support member 48 also includes latch arm 49. Second end 56of support member 48 has a pair of hanger pins 58 and 60. As illustratedin FIG. 2, there is a hanger 64 having a plurality conventionalopenings, which correspond and are designed for fitting engagement withpins 58 and 60.

As shown in FIG. 2, first support member 46 of garment support structure44 has a mounting structure connected to opposed margin walls 28 and 30.The mounting structure includes adjustable connecting means 76 and 78.As shown, these connecting means are adapted for locking engagement withcushioned rigid restraint means 80.

Adjacent the cushioned rigid restraint means 80 on first support member46 is inflatable bladder 82. The bladder 82 is connected by air line 84to inflation bulb 86. As will be more particularly described below,bladder 82 and restraint means 80 define a compression zone 88therebetween. When garment support structure 44 is in use, garment 90depends from hanger 64 and is disposed in compression zone 88.

Restraint means 91, including a plurality of restraint members 92, is alight flexible net-like structure which, in a closed position, isanchored to a divider 93 and latches to end wall 26 and extends tomargin walls 32 and 34. The integrity of means 91 is preserved in aclosed position by two bungee cords stretching from divider 93 to endwall 26 and adjacent to margin walls 32 and 34.

In the open position means 91 is stored in the cavity at the hinge endof second storage section 14, the confines of which are designated byside wall 20, margin walls 32 and 34, the divider 93 and base interiorplatform 39 located at the base of first storage section 12. This saidcavity allows the base of second storage section 14 to envelop themovable storage enclosures 36 and 38 located on the base interiorplatform of the first storage section 12 when the garment containerapparatus 10 is closed.

Conventional wheels are integral to the base 22 for rolling movement ofcontainer 10. An extensible handle may be incorporated in the garmentcontainer to cooperate with wheels for movement across flat surfaces.The container 10 is lifted by use of hand grip 98, and in the closedposition is secured by latches 100 and 102.

During travel, with the container 10 in the closed position, it may becarried in the normal manner by use of hand grip 98. The properpositioning of the first storage section 12 for opening, closing,loading and unloading of the garment container 10 is vertical with base22 flat on the loading platform. From container 10 in the closedvertical position the second storage section is lowered (open case) andraised (close case) by the hand grip 98.

In order to position the garment support structure 44 for loading, it isnecessary to swing moveable storage enclosures 36 and 38 on respectivehinges 40 and 42 so that the enclosures 36 and 38 are raised off of baseinterior platform 39. Enclosures 36 and 38 are thus swung into the openposition, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Garment support structure 44 is now positioned for loading by rotatingfirst support member 46 in a 180° are such that second support member 48is raised into the vertical position. In this position, latch arm 49 issecured with latch strike 25 to hold support member 48 in the uprightposition.

In order to accommodate the garment 90 and situate it within thecompression zone 88, cushioned restraint means 80 is removed fromadjustable connecting means 76 and 78. Hanger 64, with garment 90attached, may be placed on support member 48 by inserting pins 58 and 60through conventional openings adapted for the purpose. The back of thegarment 90 is then placed against inflatable bladder 82. With thegarment 90 in this position, cushioned restrain means 80 is reattachedto connecting means 76 and 78. The garment 90 is then arranged so thatall wrinkles are flattened and sleeves and lapels are disposed in amanner to avoid additional wrinkling. The pressure of the cushionedrestraint means 80 against the garment 90 is sufficient to hold thegarment 90 in this position while the garment support structure 44 isupright.

The inflation bulb 86 is now grasped and pumped so that air is forcedthrough the line 84 into the bladder 82, thus inflating the bladder. Thecompression zone 88 is thereby fully utilized, with the cushionedrestraint means 80 locked and bucking the pressure exerted by bladder 82through the garment 90 packed between them. This pressure is sufficientto hold the garment 90 in its arranged and wrinkle-free condition.

The garment support structure 44 is now in proper condition for closing.Latch strike 25 and latch arm 49 are disengaged and the second supportmember 48 is rotated downward. This rotation is accomplished by movementof first support member 46 through a 180° arc. It should be observedthat in this pivoting movement, the inflated bladder 82 and thecushioned restraint means 80 remain in fixed relationship relative toeach other and to the garment 90. Therefore, for example, as secondsupport member 48 rotates to a point 90° from the vertical, the bladder82 remains attached to first support member 46 and at the back ofgarment 90, while cushioned restraint means 80 remains at the front ofthe garment and at the same fixed distance from bladder 82. Likewise,when second support member 48 is rotated into the fully closed position,or 180° from the vertical, bladder 82 and cushion support means 80remain in the same constant relationship with respect to each other andthe garment 90. It should be noted that during the 180° rotation ofsecond support member 48 the attitude of garment 90, when hung ongarment structure 44, is changed from a natural hanging full lengthposition located outside the enclosure of the first storage section 12to a folded position tucked totally within the confines of the firststorage section interior.

At the completion of the closing of the 180° pivot of first supportmember 46, that portion of garment 90 that is restrained in the areabetween hanger 64 and compression zone 88 is stored upside down justinside the open face of first storage section 12. That portion ofgarment 90 hanging below the compression zone 88, when the garmentsupport structure 44 is open, is picked up by the cushioned restraintmeans 80 as the first support member 46 pivots through the 180° closingrange, and thrust back and up into the top rear interior area of firststorage section 12. This motion allows the lower portion of garment 90to drape freely over the top surface of the stored and rigid restraintmeans 80 and down the back inside area parallel to side wall 18 of thefirst storage section 12.

In the packing of garment container 10 there is no required order ofselection when it comes to the loading or unloading of storage sections12 and 14. Enclosures 36 and 38 have separate covers to retain theircontents, regardless of position but must be in the open position toallow raising and closing of garment structure 44 and closed to permitthe two storage sections 12 and 14 to be hinged shut. The contents ofsecond storage 14 must be restrained, of course, by means 91 beforeclosing.

Although the invention has been described with reference to theillustrated preferred embodiment, it is noted that variations andchanges may be made and equivalents employed herein without departingfrom the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.

I claim:
 1. In a rigid garment container having hingably connected firstand second storage sections, the improvement comprising:a first supportmember pivotally connected to .[.opposed marginal.]. walls of said firststorage section for pivotal movement .Iadd.about a pivot point.Iaddend.between a first open position and a second closed position; asecond support member .Iadd.radially offset, with respect to the pivotpoint, from the first support member and .Iaddend.having a first end.[.permanently.]. engaged with said first support member in .[.90°.]..Iadd.angular .Iaddend.relation therewith, and a second end adapted toremovably receive a plurality of clothing hangers; said first supportmember including mounting structure adapted to removably receive.[.cushioned.]. restraint means; said mounting structure furtherincluding .[.inflatable bladder.]. means disposed opposite saidrestraint means .[.and.]. .Iadd.for .Iaddend.defining a compression zonetherebetween; said compression zone adapted to receive a plurality ofgarments therein when said garments are disposed on said clothinghangers; .[.said bladder means,.]. said .Iadd.second support member,.Iaddend.garments and .[.said.]. restraint means pivoting about the.[.same.]. .Iadd.pivot .Iaddend.point and remaining in the samerelationship to each other when said first support member is pivotedbetween said first open position and said second closed position.
 2. Thegarment container as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said first andsecond storage sections include rigid side walls, defining oppositesides of said container when said container is in the closed position.3. The garment container as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of saidrigid side walls has a plurality of marginal walls defining said firstand second storage sections.
 4. The garment container as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said first and second storage sections are selectivelyhingable with respect to each other by at least approximately 90°between open and closed positions for defining open and closed positionsof said container.
 5. The garment container as set forth in claim 1wherein said first storage section includes at a base thereof adjacentthe hinged connection between said first and second storage sections aplurality of moveable storage enclosures.
 6. The garment container asset forth in claim 5 wherein each of said storage enclosures ispivotally connected to the base of said first storage section forswinging movement between a first stored position and a second openposition.
 7. The garment container as set forth in claim 1 wherein themounting structure extends between opposed marginal walls in parallelrelation to the hinged connection between said first and second storagesections.
 8. The garment container as set forth in .Iadd.claim 1.Iaddend.wherein the mounting structure has at opposed ends thereofadjustable connecting means for removably receiving said .[.cushioned.].restraint means.
 9. The garment container as set forth in claim 1wherein said second storage section has adjustable restraint meansdisposed between opposing side walls.
 10. In a rigid garment containerhaving hingably connected first and second storage sections, theimprovement comprising:said first storage section having garment supportstructure including a first support member and a second support member;said first support member pivotally connected to .[.opposed marginal.].walls of said first storage section for pivotal movement .Iadd.about apivot point .Iaddend.between a first open position and a second closedposition; said second support member .Iadd.radially offset, with respectto the pivot point, from the first support member and .Iaddend.having afirst end and a second end, said first end .[.permanently.]. engagedwith said first support member such that each said support member is in.[.90°.]. .Iadd.angular .Iaddend.relation to the other, said second endadapted to removably receive a plurality of clothing hangers; said firstsupport member including mounting structure extending between .[.opposedmarginal.]. walls in parallel relation to the hinged connection betweensaid first and second storage sections; said mounting structure havingat opposed ends thereof adjustable connecting means adapted to removablyreceive .[.cushioned rigid.]. restraint means.[.; said mountingstructure further including an integral inflatable bladder meansdisposed on said mounting structure.]. so that when said restraint meansis connected to said mounting structure, a compression zone is definedbetween said .[.bladder means.]. .Iadd.mounting structure .Iaddend.andsaid restraint means; said compression zone being adapted to receive aplurality of garments therein when said garments are disposed on saidclothing hangers in such manner that as said first support member ispivoted from a first opened position to a second closed position, said.[.bladder means.]. .Iadd.second support member, said mountingstructure, .Iaddend.and said restraint means move arcuately whileremaining in fixed relationship to each other and to said garment.
 11. Agarment container as set forth in claim 10 wherein each of said firstand second storage sections include rigid side walls, defining oppositesides of said container when said container is in the closed position.12. A garment container as set forth in claim 11 wherein each of saidrigid side walls has a plurality of marginal walls defining first andsecond storage sections.
 13. A garment container as set forth in claim10 wherein each of said first and second storage sections areselectively hingable with respect to each other by at leastapproximately 90° between open and closed positions for defining openand closed positions of said container.
 14. A garment container as setforth in claim 10 wherein said first storage section includes at a basethereof adjacent the hinged connection between said first and secondstorage sections a plurality of movable storage enclosures.
 15. Agarment container as set forth in claim 14 wherein each of said storageenclosures is pivotally connected to the base of said first storagesection for swinging movement between a first stored position and asecond open position.
 16. A garment container as set forth in claim 10wherein said second storage section includes adjustable restraint meansdisposed between opposing marginal walls.
 17. A garment containerapparatus comprising:a rigid outer structure having hingably connectedfirst and second storage sections; each of said first and second storagesections including rigid side walls, defining opposite sides of saidcontainer when said container is in the closed position; each of saidrigid side walls having a plurality of marginal walls defining saidfirst and second storage sections; said first and second storagesections being selectively hingable with respect to each other by atleast approximately 90° between open and closed positions for definingopen and closed positions of said container; said first storage sectionincluding at the base thereof adjacent the hinged connection betweensaid first and second storage sections a plurality of movable storageenclosures; each of said storage enclosures pivotally connected to thebase of said first storage section for swinging movement between a firststored position and a second open position; said first storage sectionhaving garment support structure including a first support member and asecond support member; said first support member pivotally connected to.[.opposed marginal.]. walls of said first storage section for pivotalmovement between a first open position and a second closed position;said second support member having a first end and a second end, saidfirst end .[.permanently.]. engaged with said first support member suchthat each said support member is in .[.90°.]. .Iadd.angular.Iaddend.relation to the other, said second end adapted to removablyreceive a plurality of clothing hangers; said first support memberincluding mounting structure extending between .[.opposed marginal.].walls in parallel relation to the hinged connection between said firstand second storage sections; said mounting structure having at opposedends thereof adjustable connecting means adapted to removably receive.[.cushioned rigid.]. restraint means.[.; said mounting structurefurther including an integral inflatable bladder means disposal on saidmounting structure.]. so that when said restraint means is connected tosaid mounting structure, a compression zone is defined between said.[.bladder means.]. .Iadd.mounting structure .Iaddend.and said restraintmeans; said compression zone being adapted to receive a plurality ofgarments therein when said garments are disposed on said clothinghangers in such a manner that as said first support member is pivotedfrom a first open position to a second closed position, said .[.bladdermeans.]. .Iadd.mounting structure .Iaddend.and said restraint means movearcuately while remaining in fixed relationship to each other and tosaid garments; said second storage section having adjustable restraintmeans disposed between opposing .[.marginal.]. walls. .Iadd.
 18. Thegarment container as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means fordefining a compression zone comprises inflatable bladder means..Iaddend..Iadd.19. A garment container as set forth in claim 10 whereinsaid mounting structure further includes an integral inflatable bladdermeans. .Iaddend..Iadd.20. A garment container as set forth in claim 17wherein said mounting structure further includes an integral inflatablebladder means. .Iaddend.